Lightened construction for rail joints



Jan. 8, 1924. 1,480,487

v.c.A TR NG ET AL LIGHTENED CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL JOINTS Patented Jan.8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR C. ARMSTRONG, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND EMORY L. GROFF, OFWASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY,OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LIGHTENED CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL JOINTS.

Application filed June 28, 1923. Serial No. 648,315.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, VICTOR C. ARM- STRONG and EMORY L. GROFF, citizensof the United States, residing, respectively, at New York city, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, and W'ashington, District'ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LightenedConstructions for Rail Joints, of which the 1 following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a modified web construction for rail joints toeffect substantial economy in the use of the metal employed Whileretaining the requisite structural strength for resisting the load andlateral forces imposed thereon.

In the fabrication of rail joints, particularly by the rolling method,the limitations and problems involved in that method of making railjoints have made it very difiicult for the engineer to design a jointbar having the ideal requisites of strength and economical use of metal.Accordingly, only a comparatively few types of rail joint bars have goneinto practical use which have a desirable and effective distribution ofmetal providing for increased head strength and ments and which willadapt itself to rolling mill practice while at the same time involving amodified web construction which per mits a substantial lightening of theweb particularly throughout that portion where the compression andtension forces tend to neutralize at the horizontal neutral axis therebymaterially reducing the bulk or quantity of metal in the web whileProviding a construction which will compensate for the material decreasein the bulk or amount of metal by adequate stiffening or reinforcementof the web. The effect of such a modified web construction, involving asubstantial decreaseor reducement of bulk of metal serves to increasethe output of the joint mill from a given quantity of billets while atthe same time providing individual joint bars which effect a substantialsaving in metal without diminishing or reducing the strength of the bar.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel web constructionfor a rail joint bar which lends itself quite elastically to balancingthe metal in the bar above and below the horizontal neutral axis andimproving the section modulus of-the bar above the horizontal neutralaxis, and yet obtaining a valuable decrease in the bulk of the metalemployed in the bar. Accordingly, it is the purpose of the presentinvention to provide a relatively thin web and consequently a lightenedbar, nevertheless it possesses adequate strength for properly connectingthe head and foot portions of the bar, and as a matter of fact givesadded stiffness to the web thereby making it possible to maintain thehigh standard of efiiciency of the bar both as to economy of materialand load carrying capacity.

While the invention is applicable to all types of joint bars, it hasspecial utility in connection with bars made to fit high rails andwherein the depth of the web must be materially increased. If a Web ofincreased depth is made of uniform thickness throu hout considerableweight is added to the ar due to the extra metal employed, and since allof this metal is not necessary to the full strength of the bar it isdesirable to make provision for a distribution of the metal so as toeliminate metal where it is unnecessary and use it to a better and morepractical advanta e.

With the a ove and other objects in View which will more readilyappearas the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists inthe novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts.hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The invention is necessarily susceptible of application to variousshapes and types of joint bars, and also susceptible of modification asto the specific form and character of the stiffening elements andlightening cavities, but for illustrative purposes there 100 are shownin the accompanying drawings certain preferred forms, to w1t:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a joint bar showing oneform of lightened web.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 2 is a detail view of a modification of the construction shown inFig. 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating a modification of theform of web shown in Figure 3.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures. of the drawings.

The invention in its primary aspect consists in so modifying thestructural formation in the web of a rail joint bar as to provide for amaterially lightened web without interfering with the head and footformation of the bar, nor with a proper distribution of the metal aboveand below the horizontal neutral axis of the bar to obtain the requisitehead strength and foot strength therefor. Also this modified or alteredweb construction maintains an adc quate stiffness of web, thoughproviding a web which is sufficiently flexible to properly care for therail wave motion through the track. In its specific aspect the novel webconstruction referred to is provided with a multiplicity ofcavities ordepressions representing the removal or elimination of metal at thoselocations to thereby materially reduce or diminish the bulk of metal inthe web, the eliminated metal preferably being caused to flow ordistribute itself throughout the length of the blank or bar so as not toenter into the head and foot construction thereof except to the extentdesired according to the strength of bar required. In addition to thecavities or depressions which are herein termed lightening cavities ordepressions the web is formed with a plurality of offset ribs orprojections extending from the foot to the head of the bar and servingto maintain a proper stifl'ening or trussing of the web to compensatefor the lightening thereof at the locations of the cavities ordepressions.

In the manufacture of a joint bar embodying the feature of inventionreferred to a practical form thereof is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3wherein the modification or altering of the web of the bar is at theinside thereof leaving the outer side of the bar of the conventionalform with its outer vertical bolting face. Such form of bar ma readilyrolled in the passes of the ro ling mill and inside configuration of theweb prodnced in the final pass of the mill.

Referring to the drawings it will be observed that the joint bar A isprovided with.

the top chord or head B, the foot portion C and a web member Dconnecting the head and the foot portions. In the process of rollingthis section the less efficient metal throughout the neutral zone of thebar, that is in the region of the horizontal neutral axis and to adistance above and below such axis is redistributed, producing in theweb structure sub-normally thinned wall sections and a widened top chordor head B overhanging the modified web construction, and combiningtherewith to provide an improved section modulus for the upper part ofthe bar to give adequate head strength, and substantially balancing withthe metal in the lower or thickened foot partof the bar designated bythe letter C. In such a construction the normal thickness as of the webof the bar is maintained at intervals as designated by the referenceletter 2 and between these normal wall sections the metal is displacedproducing at the inner face of the bar web the vertical cavities ordepressions which form sub-normally thinned wall sections 1. Thus, inthe embodiment of the invention shown the joint bar is provided at itsinner face with spaced cavities or depressions 1 which represent thelocations where the wall of the bar web is substantially thinned bydisplacement and redistribution of the metal while at the same timemaintaining suflicient stiffness in the bar web and adequate headstrength and balancing of the metal both above and below the horizontalneutral axis, following in a measure the plan of metal distributionobserved in the production of an I-beam which possesses far greaterstrength than a rectangular beam of the same weight and area of metal.

As above noted adesignates the normal thickness of the bar web, that is,the thick ness of the bar web which is usually preserved in standardangle bars, and y designates subnor'mally thinned wall sections hereinreferred to. Figure 2 illustrates thinned wall sections of much greaterextent than shown in Figure 1, showing the modification that may beresorted to.

It will of course be understood that the bars may be provided at proerintervals.

with the bolt holes H to provi e for receiv ing the usual joint boltsfor connecting the I bars in joint formation and clamping them toopposite sides of the rail.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the several embodimentsshown 1n the drawings effectively carry forwardthe objects heretoforeoutlined and provide a.

rolled joint bar including a modified web having a face reduced lolightening cavities and reinforced and sti ened by a plurality ofrelatively offset or projecting ribs.

'Without further description 1t is thought that the many features andadvantages of the present invention will be readily apparent and it willof course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

\Ve claim 1. A rail joint bar including a web member subnormally thinnedat intervals and a rail engaging top chord overhanging such member.

2. A rail joint bar including a web member subnormally thinned atintervals and a widened rail engaging top chord overhanging such member.

3. A rail joint bar including a web member subnormally thinned atintervals, a widened rail engaging top chord capping the upper end ofthe web member, and a. foot member connecting with the bottom of the webmember.

4. A rail joint bar consisting of a beam having an inwardly projectingrail engaging top chord and a web member adapted to stand free of therail web and having the metal in its inner face displaced at intervalsforming subnormally thinned wall larged top and bottom compression andten-' sion chords and a Web member connecting the said chords andprovided at its inner side with spaced reducements forming at suchlocations wall sections of subnormal thickness.

6. A rolled rail joint bar having enlarged top and bottom compressionand tension chords connected by a web provided with a plain unbrokenouter bolting face, and the inner face of the web having depressions atintervals formed by displacement of metal at such locations to provideweb portions of sub-normal thickness.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

VICTOR C. ARMSTRONG, EMORY L. GEOFF. Witnesses:

D. P. WOLHAUPTER, ELLA N. HILDEBRAND.

